Crossing the Border

The next morning.

Ye Tian woke early and made all the necessary preparations.

He wore a clean, sharp dark blue tight-fitting outfit, with silver-based armor patterned in blue over it.

A Long sword imbued with the Light attribute hung at his waist, while the Shield of Radiance was strapped to his back.

Combined with his handsome features, he looked exceptionally dashing.

(It looked roughly like this!)

"Are you ready, little brother?"

There came another knock on the door.

"Coming!" Ye Tian called out before stepping out of his room.

The instant Li Xin saw Ye Tian, her eyes lit up.

"Wow, little brother, you really did put on the equipment I gave you. You look way too handsome!"

As expected of the gear she had specially selected.

On Ye Tian, this suit of armor perfectly brought out his temperament.

Ye Tian smiled faintly at the praise.

"Let's go!"

The two quickly left the residence, where Long Haochen had already been waiting downstairs for quite some time.

At the entrance to Haoyue Branch Hall, Nalan Shu and Ye Hua were standing there.

"Uncle Nalan."

Li Xin greeted him with a smile.

Ye Tian and Long Haochen also saluted the two men.

"Be extra careful from here on. Make sure you stay safe."

Nalan Shu and Ye Hua gave them solemn reminders.

The scene before them was much like when they had participated in the Demon Hunter Squad selection competition years ago. Their elders had always worried for them as well.

"Don't worry, Uncle Nalan. We'll take good care of ourselves."

After exchanging a few brief words, the three headed toward the gathering point.

Li Xin mounted her Rose Unicorn, which had already reached the peak of the fifth level, while Ye Tian and Long Haochen each rode a fine horse.

Nalan Shu had specially prepared these two horses.

There was no helping it—Ling'er had grown quite enormous and was far too conspicuous.

After crossing the border, she would be easily spotted by the Demon Race. Unless they encountered danger they could not handle, Ye Tian did not intend to summon her.

Before long, the three arrived at the eastern gate of Haoyue City.

This was also the place they had agreed to meet yesterday.

The excited Chen brothers were already waiting there. Just as Ye Tian and the others arrived, a carriage slowly approached.

The curtain was lifted, and Lin Jialu jumped down from the carriage.

An elderly man emerged after her.

He appeared to be in his sixties or seventies. His graying hair was combed impeccably, and the lightly scented pomade made his short hair gleam brightly.

Yet his gaze carried a trace of coldness. Pride and nobility coexisted in him, making him seem difficult to approach.

He wore a pale green mage robe edged with gold thread, its fabric itself giving off a faint metallic sheen. Active wind elements naturally swirled around his body.

A Wind attribute Mage?

Ye Tian murmured inwardly.

Although the old man did not give off any obvious magical fluctuations, the faint aura he exuded still revealed his strength.

Of course, that was only in the eyes of ordinary professionals.

The old man before them was a Sixth-tier, fourth-level Great Magister, already considered one of the Holy Temple Alliance's core forces.

The old man calmly swept his gaze over the six individuals, then nodded faintly.

"Everyone is here. Let's depart!"

"I will not provide you with any help unless you intend to withdraw from the selection competition and ask me for assistance."

"From here on, you'll have to rely on yourselves!"

With that, the old man lightly waved the staff in his hand.

A mass of green light instantly enveloped him.

The group only felt their vision blur, and the inspector from the Holy Temple Alliance vanished into thin air.

Ye Tian, however, clearly sensed that the man was merely following not far behind them.

"Everyone, come closer!"

Lin Jialu spoke softly, drawing everyone's attention.

The girl took a map from her bosom and unfolded it.

"This is the route map leading to Demon territory. We need to travel east across the border and secretly infiltrate the area controlled by the Demon Race."

"Also, these are the Identification tokens for the Demon Hunter Squad selection competition. The backs record our identities, origins, and participant numbers, so make sure to keep them safe."

As she spoke, Lin Jialu took out six round tokens and handed them to the other five.

The tokens were exquisitely crafted and gave off magical fluctuations.

Everyone curiously examined the tokens in their hands.

At that moment, Lin Jialu continued.

"Before entering Demon territory, we should choose someone to take command. If we run into danger, that way we can bring out the team's full strength. What do you think?"

No one objected upon hearing this.

The brothers Chen Chen and Chen Si were the first to respond.

"We don't have any talent for that, so we won't get involved."

The two had a very clear understanding of their own positions.

As warriors, they had no problem serving as vanguards, following orders in battle, and protecting others. But asking them to oversee the bigger picture and direct everyone's movements was truly asking too much.

"How about you take command, little brother?"

Li Xin suddenly suggested.

Among everyone present, Ye Tian was undoubtedly the strongest. There was nothing wrong with having him command them.

However, Ye Tian gently shook his head. "Sister Lin should command us instead. She'll remain at the rear, making it easiest for her to observe the battlefield. She's the most suitable person to serve as commander."

"What do you think, Haochen?"

Long Haochen nodded lightly. "I have no objections."

"Then it's settled for now. Let's set out!"

Lin Jialu and Li Xin rode together, while the others followed on horseback.

They raced onward without encountering any mishaps along the way.

Though they had set out in the morning, they did not reach the border until evening.

Using their Demon Hunter Squad selection competition Identification tokens, the six individuals passed smoothly through the Holy Temple Alliance army garrison area.

After a brief rest, they continued onward in silence.

Once they crossed the border, Li Xin immediately recalled her Rose Unicorn.

Under the cover of night, they crossed a vast stretch of hills. Beyond that lay an area where Demon Race creatures were active.

"Stop for a moment!"

Behind a huge boulder, Lin Jialu took out the map again and called for everyone to halt.

"We've only just left the border. Two hundred li farther east is a Demon Race army camp."

"It's obviously unrealistic for just the few of us to raid a Barracks, so our target will be Demon scouts instead."

"For the rest of the journey, Li Xin and Brother Long will lead the way at the front. Chen Si and Chen Chen, you guard the flanks. Little Brother Ye, you cover the rear, while I remain in the center."

"If we encounter the Demon Race, follow my command."

Lin Jialu was exceptionally calm at this moment, her beautiful face carrying a touch of authority.

Combined with her naturally cold and stunning features, she seemed even more captivating.

"Understood!"

Everyone nodded in response.

At the same time, feelings of tension, excitement, and even fear quietly rose in their hearts.

But more than anything, their blood was surging with passion!

"Haoyue, come out!"

Long Haochen called softly.

A black shadow flashed by, and Haoyue the Two-headed lizard silently appeared at Long Haochen's side.

Its appearance immediately gave the Chen brothers a fright.

"This little guy is way too scary!"

Thanks to boss 'Leaf_aD' for the 100 reading coins! Thanks to boss '20230404817_eB' for the 100 reading coins!